KEY 3 – DESIGN YOUR PERFECT FLOOR PLAN

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Designing your perfect floor plan is one of the more exciting steps in remodeling your home. But for those of you who struggle with visualizing what it will look like, enlisting the help of someone who has experience designing rooms or experimenting with various layouts may be incredibly helpful.

In the first two keys we recommended defining your objectives and creating a wish list for your project. The next step is exploring how to get help turning your wish list into a functional and visually striking floor plan and how to experiment and think through various layout options.

Getting Help – If your project requires structural changes or is a large scale project, it is wise to seek the professional services of an architect or designer who specializes in kitchens or bathrooms or a company that can help you with your entire process from designing to building. Architect and Designers can both help you design the rooms that you are remodeling, but they won’t do the building for your or be able to provide you with an accurate estimate. Full service contractors, like Riverside Construction, have design/build capabilities in-house which offers a more complete solution. These firms offer both the expertise in the design and construction of the part of the home you are planning to remodel. Choosing someone you are comfortable with who can guide you through this stage is vital to coming up with a floor plan, schedule, and budget that is right for you.

Choose a professional who will tailor a plan that will address your wish list and find ways to incorporate as many items as possible. Work with someone who is willing and experienced enough to recommend different materials and construction options to give you a plan that you can enjoy and afford. Good designers will be creative and provide multiple solutions to accomplish your design objectives. By being flexible you will find ways to create that new “space” that will be just right for you and your family.

Thinking through the Floor Plan – As you begin to think through and review your floor plan, you’ll also want to think through furniture placement, traffic flow, and visual appeal. If you already have a clear vision of the room’s size and shape, you can begin this process now. The easiest way to experiment is by placing barriers and moving furniture in your current space so you have an accurate feel for what the future changes will represent. When that’s not possible, the next best thing is to draw the room to scale on graph paper and add potential furniture to the drawing.

As you experiment, you may notice problem areas or creative opportunities. These are the areas a designer or a company that offers a visual design can help you make the most of. Riverside Construction offers a 3D image or “rendering” of your remodeling project from various angles for just this reason. The rendering allows you to visualize your space which can often highlight changes you want to make. Using the 2D floor plan and the renderings, you can experiment with the placement your furniture, cabinets, windows and doors to get the beautiful space you want. We’ll help you make sure that when new counters, cabinets, and doors are installed, or walls are moved, that the walkways will be to your satisfaction and the room will be a functional, enjoyable room.

A few thoughtful hours invested now with a tape measure can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Altering your design layout once construction has started can add both cost and time to your project. Spend the time to get the feedback of others and to get comfortable with all aspects of the project. You’ll be glad you did.

If you need help with designing a room that is both beautiful and functional we would love to help you. You can contact us for more information. Missed the first two steps in our keys to remodeling with success? Read about the first step in remodeling. Read more about step two.

THE SECOND KEY TO REMODELING WITH SUCCESS

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It has been said that the most successful people are goal setters. It is the same with renovation projects. The most successful renovations are those where there is a clear set of goal oriented objectives followed by the priority of items that you would like to see in your newly remodeled space. By clearly establishing the objectives of your remodeling project and the importance that each item carries it will be much easier to communicate your “wish list” to your Contractor. This will have a significant bearing when you are establishing your budget and design options.

The first step to a success in a remodeling project is to prioritize each wish list feature as to how important it is to meeting your overall objective. Put your highest priority item at the top of the list and then rank your other items in the order of importance, realizing that when budget and design considerations are taken into account, the items at the bottom of the list may or may not fit into your budget.
Don’t forget to let all members of the household share their input on the prioritized list and the reasons why each item is important to him or her. Once this step is completed you will have made significant progress toward a sensible plan that will accommodate the wishes and desires of all those involved.
The next step is evaluating which parts of the project will add the value that you desire to your home. Almost all remodeling projects will add value to your home. Not only by increasing your resale value, but just as importantly by increasing the utility and enjoyment you and your family will receive from your investment. According to Remodeling Magazine, a few of the projects that recoup the largest amount of their original costs are kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, enhanced master suites and room additions. These values can vary depending on your home’s location, but regardless of where you live, any decision to remodel your home should be based on both the increased value and the personal satisfaction you will obtain from having new features and comfort added to your home.
If you are in the process of thinking about a remodeling project we are here to help you make your project a success! Please contact us for more information.

THE FIRST KEY TO REMODELING WITH SUCCESS

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Each remodeling project should be designed to reflect who you are and how you use your home. The space you are remodeling should have the functionality you need, not just for your lifestyle today, but for as far into the future as you can see.
At Riverside Construction, we believe that as a more informed consumer, the decisions you make will ensure that you will enjoy the benefits for years to come, and potentially save you thousands of dollars in costly mistakes. Our team is here to help you get the most out of every decision. Here is the first key step to a successful remodeling project.


When you consider the space that you’d like to remodel, your emphasis should be on the way you hope to use the new room. You want to spend time considering how the new space should function – including how often it will be used, by who, and what possible wants and needs people might have in the space. Sometimes it’s easier to start with a list of frustrations and limitations of the current space.

Start with Walking Around
Having a general idea of what you want to resolve with your remodeling project is important. Start with walking through your home and making a list of what frustrates you. Be sure to include other family members as you go.
Is the space too small for your growing family or too difficult for an aging loved one to enjoy? Is the outdated style keeping you from entertaining guests? Is the room cold and drafty or does noise travel too easily from one space to another? Are you missing out on a beautiful view or stuck in the kitchen while the family is relaxing in the room around the corner? Are there structural problems as well such as low ceilings, leaky pipes, or creaky floors?
Of course some underlying problems will not be easily visible and will have to be dealt with when they arise. However, by taking into account as many potential factors as possible, you’ll help minimize surprises when it comes time to draw up a time-line and budget

Define your Project Objectives
Once you’ve completed your walk around and started to create a mental image of what you want to improve, the next step is to create your wish list and define your remodeling project objectives.
1. Are you wanting a new look?
2. Are there features of your home that have bothered you over time?
3. If there were no budget constraints, what would your ultimate space look like?
4. How do you see yourself using the remodeled or new space?
5. Do you like to entertain?

Asking yourself these questions can provide significant insight into the features you want and the look of your new kitchen, bathroom, or addition. By compiling a complete “wish list” you can then move to the next step and begin prioritizing your wants and needs in a way that will move you closer to your end goal.
If you are ready to take the next step forward with your remodeling project we would love to help you. You can contact us for more information.

HOW TO CREATE A DREAM KITCHEN

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Is your kitchen looking tired or worn out; does it lack the appeal it once had? We believe that your kitchen should be both highly functional and beautiful. Kitchens should be an expression of how you work and entertain.

When remodeling your kitchen think about how you work in the space. What types of activities do you and your family do in this room? Today’s kitchens have become the hub of the home. Here are a few thoughts to help you plan the kitchen of your dreams:

Create space for Cookbooks or Tablets
Being able to easily access your recipes is critical for anyone using a kitchen. Whether you use cookbooks, recipe cards or some other technology to give you your directions for cooking, it’s important to plan for their use and storage. Open shelving, easy access book cases, under cabinet tablet holders or charging stations at key locations in the kitchen can make accessing your information easier.

Carefully plan your counter space
Having open counter space to either prep food or mix your ingredients is incredibly helpful. The key here is to look at how you use your kitchen. If you enjoy making cookies or kneading bread it’s important to leave space for those types of activities. If you need space for chopping vegetables make sure to leave space near sinks and garbage cans to make that process as easy as possible.

It’s also important to think about the type of counter you will have. Choose a material that compliments the projects you find yourself most often doing. For example – Granite countertops stay cool longer so they’re good for people who knead bread or roll out other types of dough. It’s also important to consider the height of those working at the counter and potentially have lower sections of counter for those tasks you prefer to do sitting down or areas that you prefer to have accessible for someone with limited access to counter space.

Organized storage for Spices
Spices are vital to cooking of all kinds. A truly useful kitchen needs to have spices that are well organized. You can keep spices organized and within easy reach with an in-drawer spice rack or spice rack pull out. A rack can position the containers so they’re easy to read and access. Slim pullouts in your kitchen can offer the perfect solution to spaces that might otherwise be wasted.

Open Shelving for Quick Access
If you have items you access all the time, you may want to consider open shelves. Open shelves allow you to store the items you use all the time conveniently and not on your countertop. This is also a great spot for displaying some of your most colorful items to bring some extra decorating space into your kitchen as well.

Plan for the Appliances you Need
When you’re planning your next kitchen make sure to include the appliances that will make your life easier. Do you bake at multiple temperatures? If so, a double oven may be a helpful tool for you. If you do a lot of mixing, consider installing a base cabinet that includes a standing mixer stand that pulls up to the ideal height and locks into place to allow you to conveniently lift and lower your mixer as needed. Do you need more burners or unique range features. It’s important then to plan for a larger range to easily accommodate larger pots and pans. Do you hate to carry heavy pots filled with water? Make sure to add a convenient pot filler over your range top. Additional ideas may be standalone freezers, ice makers or convection ovens. The idea is to have easy access to the appliances that will allow you to make the best use of your space.

Creating a kitchen that allows you the best possible environment to be creative is a great way to practice and improve your cooking and baking skills. If you need help designing and remodeling your next kitchen please contact us.